


Promise?

by skywarpie



Category: The Transformers (IDW Generation One), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Implied/Referenced Abuse, M/M, Past Abuse, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, angst so much angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-08
Updated: 2020-09-08
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:01:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,193
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25946269
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/skywarpie/pseuds/skywarpie
Summary: Starscream's past always seems to catch up to him. The reason a bot like Wheeljack would want to stick around is beyond him and it really doesn't feel like it's real.
Relationships: Starscream/Wheeljack (Transformers)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 53





	Promise?

_"Starscream!"_

_The voice echoes through the empty halls. He's made sure that he avoids the warlord any time he's in a bad mood. This time he hasn't been so lucky. A dead end blocks the seeker's way. He's cut off on all sides, leaving him a sitting target._

_"Starscream!"_

_The yell is louder this time and it's all he can do to keep his vents even. He turns, plastering himself against the wall, his back literally against the wall. So , this is how he's going to die. Cornered like some turbofox and torn apart like some useless Autobot prisoner._

_"Ah, there you are." Now the warlord's voice is practically a purr._

_Starscream swallows the knot that's formed in his throat. "My Lord, I can explain." His voice holds a nervous laughter to it, matching his pained smiled. He knows what's coming. That doesn't make it any easier and for once he can actually say this isn't his fault._

"Starscream."

_He flinches. The voice oddly doesn't fit with the situation but he can't think of that right now. All he can focus on is the fist that's coming toward his face._

"Starscream!"

_He flinches. That is definitely not Megatron's voice but --_

"Starscream!" Hands are on his shoulders, violently shaking him. 

In a wild fury, Starscream's optics boot up, red orbs in the blackness of the room. His fingertips transform to claws and before he has time to react he strikes. He hits his target dead on, claws scraping down his attacker's face. And then -- then there's a pained hiss and he freezes. Optics finally settle on the figure in front of him. _Wheeljack_. Starscream recycles his optics and then his head snaps to the side, settling on his own hand and he wails. Instantly his claws transform back to blunt fingertips. He yanks himself out of what little grasp Wheeljack still has on him, and pulls himself up to the head of the berth, curling in on himself.

Primus, he's fucked up. He's fucked up. Now Wheeljack will leave like all the others. He always does this. He always messes things up somehow. 

Wheeljack is saying something to him but he can't focus on that. The only thing he can think of is Megatron's condescending voice in his processor. _"Oh Starscream, you really should stop sabotaging yourself so much._ " And, he just really can't deal with this right now. Starscream curls in on himself even more, his servos clamping over his audio receptors as he squints his optics shut. It doesn't matter what he does, that voice is still _**there**_. Still screaming at him and he just wants things to stop, every thing to just --

"Starscream." There's a pair of servos over his own, gently prying them off his helm but he refuses to open his eyes. "Hey, look at me." One of Wheeljack's rough hands cups his face and turns it toward him. "Starscream." He really doesn't want to look at Wheeljack but his optics open at the soft command, and once he looks he really wish that he wouldn't have.

Moonlight filters in through the cracks in the shades and it settles on Wheeljack's face. What Starscream sees makes his tanks roll. Across Wheeljack's left optic, a deep cut stretches from his optical ridge all the way down to his mask. Energon trickles from it. It's a harrowing scene and Starscream can't help the wail that escapes from his throat. Before he can school his emotions, he hangs his helm because that damn voice is back. " _Look at what you've done now. Tsk. You really are useless._ " And if that isn't bad enough, he can already hear the jabs bots will hurl at Wheeljack. 

**_"What's the matter, can't handle your pet seeker?"_ **

**_"Screamer too feisty for you?"_ **

**_"Looks like someone got his wings in a twist."_ **

No. No. No. This is not good, not good at all. 

Starscream's servos shoot up to cover his face but Wheeljack seems to be set on keeping that impossible. 

"Starscream!" Wheeljack's voice is louder now, more forceful and Starscream freezes, sinking in on himself but turning bright optics on his partner, hands lowering ever so slightly. He can see Wheeljack breath a sigh of relief. "Star, it's okay. It was just a nightmare."

Okay? Okay, how is this okay? His optics draw to the wound on Wheeljack's face, and once more the feeling settles deep in his tanks, he did that. He hurt Wheeljack. 

"Hey." The grounder lift's Starscream's head to have them eye level once more. "Look at me. You didn't do it on purpose, Star. It was an accident and I know that."

"That doesn't excuse it!" Starscream blurts out. His processor is in a frenzy. "It's not normal for someone you love to hurt you, it's -- it's --" His mind is running too fast and his words can't keep up. He stumbles over them until finally he collapses into a pile of tears in Wheeljack's arms. It should soothe him but it doesn't, it only makes him sob harder. How does he even know this is real and not just another dream? It wouldn't be the first time he's been tricked. If he pulls back just _how_ sure is he that he'll see Wheeljack and not Megatron?

"Hey," the drawl in the voice wills him to believe that it really is Wheeljack, and Primus he hopes it's true. "It's okay. It was an accident. I'll get it patched up first thing in the mornin'. Won't take longer than a few nano-clicks." 

Starscream can feel himself being stared at. With a sniffle he pulls himself back, looking up into the face in front of him and _yes_ it is his conjunx. He's so happy he could almost cry again. "I--" He hiccups several times before he's able to finish his sentence. "I just don't want you to think that I'm like...like him." Starscream inhales a shaky breath. "Because I know--" He breaks off into another sob fit.

"Star," Wheeljack's voice is soft. "You know me better'n anybody. You should know by now I'd never compare ya to him." 

Starscream's processor screams at him not to believe such honeyed words. He's been burned far too many times by them. But his spark twists and feels like it's pulling itself apart, because it knows that yes, the words are true and always will be.

"I love ya, Star." Primus, there Wheeljack is once more reeling him in again. "I always will. No matter what." The arms around Starscream tighten just enough to make the hug more intimate but still lose enough to let Starscream pry himself free if he wants.

"E-even after this?" He gently runs a finger along the cut. 

"Even after this." The battle mask is retracted from Wheeljack's face now and Starscream can see his face. It's soft and his smile reaches his optics, pulling in small lines around them. 

As if still not convinced he adds, "Promise?"

"I promise." 

Finally content with the answer, Starscream pulls himself closer to Wheeljack, allowing himself to be lulled back into recharge. A recharge that will not be plagued by nightmares this time, but by love.

**Author's Note:**

> Wheeljack Voice: I love you bitch. I ain't never gonna stop loving you bitch.


End file.
